


Old Wounds

by RMarie124



Series: Fictober 2019 [16]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Debriefing Session, F/M, Kathryn is fed up, New Earth mention, post Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 23:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21064901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RMarie124/pseuds/RMarie124
Summary: A look into the debriefing session that Kathryn might have had to go through about New Earth. She is tired and frustrated and it's the last thing she wanted to talk about, but she knows she has to anyway.Fictober Day #16: "Listen. No, really listen."





	Old Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write a debriefing session, because it's not something I see all the time. I might try and explore this type of thing again later. Also I know the question leading up to the prompt line is kind of strange, but it felt like the kind of question that an Admiral would actually ask (they have to cover all their bases in questioning, I'm sure) and that would get that kind of reaction out of KJ.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one!

Time: 0900 hours.  
Location: Starfleet Academy  
Debriefing Subject: Kathryn Janeway, Captain. 

“Okay everyone, let’s get started.” Admiral Paris called to the few people in the debriefing room. “We’ve got a lot to cover today.”

Kathryn sat at a desk facing a group of four Admirals. She was a week into her debriefing sessions, and she was exhausted. She was tired of answering question after question for almost eight hours a day. Today was no different, and she tried to quell her annoyance and maintain her composure. 

“Today we will be going over events that occurred in late 2372.” Admiral Paris started. “Captain Janeway, you and Commander Chakotay were stranded on an alien planet that neutralized the effects of a disease that you had both contracted on another planet you had previously been at.”

Kathryn felt her heart drop. ‘Not today,’ she thought, ‘I can’t do this today.’

“We would like to discuss what exactly happened there, as both of your records of what happened are vague in some instances.” Admiral Young cut in. “We just want to make sure we understand the whole story.”

She nodded, a silent go ahead for them to start their questioning. She kept her face blank, locked in Captain mode. She would not let this get to her. She could not lie about events, she knew that much. Everything that happened was in both of their reports, in personal logs from the planet and from their official reports post returning to the ship. They knew that she and Chakotay had broken Protocol. She could only await their reprimand.

“Based on your logs, it appears that you and Commander Chakotay started an intimate relationship. Is this true?” Admiral Young asked.

“Yes.” Kathryn stated. “That is correct. The Commander and I did have an intimate relationship on N—” She caught herself. “On that planet.”

“And did this relationship continue once you returned to Voyager?” Admiral Paris inquired, giving her a sympathetic look, apologizing silently for having to pry into her life like this.

“No, it did not continue.” She looked down briefly at her hands. “It ended upon our return to the ship. It was upon my insistence to follow Protocol, and the Commander agreed.”

“According to your logs, the Commander confessed his love for you. Did this affect your working relationship with him in the following months or years after this quarantine?” A pause before, “And as a follow up, did your reciprocation of his feelings affect your decisions regarding any orders you gave him?”

Kathryn took a steading breath. This was opening up old wounds that she hadn’t looked at in years. She wanted to yell that yes, yes their relationship had suffered greatly from this and that there were moments where they slipped up and countless nights where she cried, mourning for what they had on New Earth. 

Instead, she kept her voice as neutral as possible. “At first, things were slightly awkward, yes. After getting used to being able to be open with our feelings, it was hard to suddenly take that aspect of our relationship away. That being said, I do not feel as though my personal feelings toward him compromised my decision making ability when it came to him. I sent him on missions I felt he was qualified for.” 

“There were no additional incidents where you were intimate aboard Voyager after your return?” Admiral Young. 

A blush made its way across her face. “There was a… slip up. Yes.” The silence told her that she was supposed to continue. “The year after that, there was an incident at the Holiday party with the punch. We obtained some real alcohol from a planet we had passed in order to re-stock our food and dilithium supplies. Lots of us had forgotten to watch our drinks, especially because we were all used to synthehol. The Commander and I both had a little bit too much and ended up… being intimate.” 

She focused her attentions on her hands again. She hated this damn debriefing session. She wanted it to be over, but she knew it was only beginning. This felt like such a breach of her privacy, even though she knew it was coming. Kathryn couldn’t wait to get out of there and go home. 

The fact that she held on to is that she was going home to Chakotay.

“What was the Commander’s purpose in building the bathtub?” Admiral Jones piped up. “It seemed so much like he was prepared to give up on every finding a cure.”

“The purpose,” She started, voice laced with venom, “Was that he was making a kind gesture for me, trying to make it seem more bearable there.”

“He was in love with you, though. Don’t you think that there was an ulterior motive? Perhaps one to get you to think more along the lines of longterm instead of your being determined to get off the planet? Or at least find a cure?” 

“Listen.” Kathryn saw that one of the Admirals moved to reprimand her for her attitude. She held up a hand. “No, really listen. At that point, we had not commenced our intimate relationship. I had mentioned my preference for baths over showers, and in an incredibly kind and selfless gesture, he built me a bathtub. He could have had that ulterior motive, yes. But I did not see this particular gesture as trying to push me towards wanting to stop my research."

Time: 1100 hours.  
Location: Starfleet Headquarters.  
Debriefing Subject: Kathryn Janeway, Captain. 

“Our final question, Captain.” Admiral Paris started. “Since your return to Earth, have you and the Commander resumed your intimate relationship?”

And there it was. Kathryn felt a wave of anger rise inside her. She had just endured two hours of questions on New Earth and her understanding of Voyager’s actions in order to get them back. This seemed like the icing on the proverbial cake, and she had to force herself to maintain composure. She had even endured that stupid question about the bathtub with grace.

“I fail to see how that question is relevant, sir.” She said through clenched teeth.

“None of us would have held it against you if you and the Commander had continued your intimate relationship aboard Voyager. Your circumstances were extenuating, and we would not have expected you to adhere to that Protocol. Especially not with someone you cared about so deeply.” Admiral Paris said, kindly. 

Kathryn suspected that Owen was saying that to be nice. She knew that there would be a reprimand noted on both of them for that slip-up at the Holiday party. But at the same time… maybe he truly meant it. 

“The Commander and I did resume our relationship soon after our return.” She looked only at Admiral Paris. She did not want to see the looks that the other Admirals were no doubt giving her. “And we intend to stay together for a very long time.”

“We wish you the best, then.” Paris said. “Let’s take a twenty minute break and then resume our session. We’ll start up with the next major event, the overtaking of Voyager by Seska and the Kazon.”

Kathryn finished her session at 1600 hours. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just relax with Chakotay. She walked into their apartment and smelled something delicious cooking. Her stomach growled, she hadn’t been able to eat much during the debriefing session, and her body was suddenly signaling that she was incredibly hungry. 

She made her way into the kitchen and saw that Chakotay was just finishing up making food and was in the process of serving it. Her mouth watered, he had made her favorite food. He turned to saw her and smiled, but his expression quickly turned to that of concern.

“Kathryn, what’s wrong?” He asked.

“New Earth.” She smiled sadly. “Two hours of reliving the pain we had to go through after we were rescued.”

He pulled her into a hug. “I had to talk about New Earth today, too.” He whispered. “What matters is that we’ve worked through those things and the things that came afterwards on our own, outside of the debriefings. What matters now is that we’re able to resume what we started there and truly make something of it this time.”

“You always know what to say.” She said, pulling away and kissing him sweetly. “It’s one of the things that I love the most about you.”

Chakotay smiled. “And you’re so resilient. I love that about you. Now,” He motioned to the dinner table. “Let’s have some food. Then what do you say we just relax and watch our favorite holoprograms?” 

“That sounds wonderful.” Kathryn sighed.

She slept soundly that night, grateful for the fact that she once again had the luxury of falling asleep in Chakotay’s arms.


End file.
